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Feb 21, 2014

Readers, thank you. Thank you for your compliments and thank you for your candor in response to yesterday's big reveal.
I appreciate that we can be honest with each other. Some of you hated my pleated shirt and Thai fisherman pants combo (esp. when worn under a Miyake leopard coat) so vehemently that you banned me from wearing it in your home cities. I recognize this comes from a place of kindness and concern: not wanting me to look foolish or to invite ridicule, and for this I am grateful.

Luckily, not only do I rarely travel, I hardly ever even leave my own neighborhood, which may explain my somewhat myopic view of what men's fashion is these days. Also too, Pinterest. Once you start poring over photos from the latest runway shows, you forget what most men are actually wearing on the street, at the office, and in Iowa.

Having become something of a fashion slave, I can now appreciate a headless clown suit...

...barcode stripes mixed with florals...

...a wrinkled skirt with ankle socks....

..and so much more.

But not everyone can. I want to reassure those who are not on board with my outfit that -- and this is the blessing of menswear -- my combo can be broken up. I'm assuming the look below is uncontroversial.

But can I just mention the $2 Salvation Army pashmina I found that matched yesterday's Mood outfit perfectly?

I interpreted this synchronicity as an affirmation of my ensemble from the universe. What else could it mean?

In other news, there's a new Vogue Miyake pattern in my life as of noon today! (It's V-1541 from 1995.)

Look at that tunic jacket above and tell me it's radically different from the tunic (below) seen in Miyake's men's line for Spring/Summer 2014?

Now I just have to find some tie dye fabric!

In closing, I think it may be time to make my mother that pique robe, or to finish Cathy's cocktail dress. Then again, Michael has put in a request for Thai fisherman pants.

I'm never so lucky at my Salvation Army store. Wish I were bold enough to wear that outfit, but I have wanted to make a pair of Thai Fisherman pants for a long time and you may have pushed me to do so this weekend. Thai Fisherman pants for the whole family? Perhaps.

While I didn't care too much for the top with the pants together, it is all subject to opinion. I did however think the umbrella photo was pure genius. Loved it to pieces. And the scarf, and umbrella added to the top/pants made it all come together for me. beautiful!

I love the ensemble together and apart, you're an inspiration and I love your style. You've inspired sewists around the world to make Thai fisherman's pants for spring. Your pintucks inspired me to decorate a recent shirt project with them. Unfortunately that shirt is destined for the rag pile - the sizing on the McCall's pattern I used was outlandishly enormous.

Actually, you could help me out. I know you drafted a simple pattern for the pants, and I can do that (I'll base them on a pajama pants pattern, lengthen the rise and enlarge the waist). But, could you share the multiplier you used for your waist to get the right amount of fullness for the pants? Your waist is somewhat smaller than mine :-) but I could multiply by the same factor to "size up" my pajamas pattern.

Some of those models look SO unhappy, though, don't they? Especially the one in the wrinkled skirt with his hair plastered to his forehead. He looks as though he just caught sight of himself in a mirror and wants to cry. He would TOTALLY rather be wearing your Thai fisherman's pants!

If you are coming to my city, wear whatever you want to! Just make sure I have a chance to meet you. The Pashmina works very well to bring the elements together. But I still like the shirt better with jeans. Lovin' your blog!

I am in the camp who loves all of the pieces, but needs some time to get used to the pintucked shirt with the Thai fisherman's pants. On the other hand, you're welcome here in my neighborhood wearing anything you're in the mood to wear. I love the umbrella photo.

I must admit I'm not hugely keen on the outfit, although I seem to be in a minority of one who prefers the pants over the shirt (and the pashmina shot clearly is inspired!) - but please do wear this outfit (or anything else for that matter) anywhere you like. In fact, if I were you I might almost feel tempted to go on a grand tour of all the places you were banned from wearing this outfit - IN this outfit ;-)

OK - I'm from Iowa and I think you could wear the original outfit there. They would think you homeless and possibly off your meds, but you could wear it! That said, if you do please take the pashmina, it realy ties it together and makes it look intentional. (as opposed to just available in the shopping cart you are pushing around Iowa). Iowa Girl.

I think the outfit is a little sensory overload. I can total see your fisherman pants as the star of the ensemble with a cordinating solid t-shirt like orange and sandals, just kicking it at the park on a summer day. Not so much with the logger boots. Love the shirt just not with the fisherman pants. This the northwest and fashion has no place here. We wear what we want which includes a lot of tiedye. All highschool kids learn to tiedye in Chemestry class here.

Hey, so I can see that more polarisation has occurred here. But wanted to add my two cents as they say. I think youve really come into your own with these makes, bringing a litte bit of Cathys boldness and confidence into your everyday wardrobe. I think we could all do with a little bit of that. I personally love your choice of pattern colour combination but more than that i love your sense of style and your strength in wearing it. Guess I'm saying, glad you are you

I love the outfit. I want to make some wrap-around shorts now (even though it's 20 degrees here in Montana). I didn't read the negative comments about the shirt and shorts, but open your minds, people! If you live in the style hinterlands, like I do, you should appreciate the glimpse of NYC style Peter provides. I love that you rarely travel out of your neighborhood! The concept is completely fantastic to me. I have to drive at least 120 miles for sushi, indian food, or cloth that is not quilting cotton! thank you, Peter

I am glad I stumbled on your blog! I will have to get my husband to pore through for inspiration. He is the most anti-fashion person I know, so much so that I wish he would dare to even try a clown costume just for the heck of it, rather than being one of those 'grey people' on the street.......I love your outfit by the way, I don't care much for the fisherman pants (unless I am wearing them of course lol).

Hi Peter,Your outfit is pretty fashion-forward, but you nailed the look! If Scott Schumann had been around, you would have made the Sartorialist blog, easy. I like that you are pushing not only your sewing boundaries, but your aesthetic as well. Are your classes or classmates at FIT inspiring you? Anywhoo, BRAVO.

I ADORED this look. I admit when I saw the two fabrics together I was dubious, but you definitely pulled it off, and the scarf/umbrella combo is incredible... completely pulled it together and got rid of any last hints of doubt... That photo has shot into my all-time favourite outfit photos, sewing-related or not! Keep taking risks, offend people, it's worth it ;)

I'm pretty sure you'd pull off that last cricketing ensemble! I kinda feel the out-scale windowpane check & print outfit will wear anyone in it, rather than the other way around. Unless they're off their meds & pushing a shopping trolley around rural Iowa.Great shirt, great pants - together they're not my thing, but they don't have to be, what matters is that you like them

I try really hard never to be negative on the internet . . . ever. When I saw the reveal on Mood, my first thoughts were "Wow! Really runway worthy!" But it won't play in Peoria, that's for sure. I guess having said that, my question would be, does it need to?

I'm going to chime in with a few other commenters: Make your own tie dye! It's fun! I think SallieOh has some tutorials about dyeing fabrics on her blog.

I appreciate that you love creative fashion an pushing the envelope ! How boring it would be if everyone dressed the same, I think the great thing about the sewing community is there lack of trend following, and originality. Cheers to you, Bill Cunningham would be proud!

Puh-leazzze...if showing one's hip fat and butt crack can qualify as a "fashiontrend", well then we've REALLY hit the nadir, and it can't get any lower or more degraded than that. Anything else is a STEP UP. Plus, look at all those idiot "runway" outfits you posted. How can a mere tucked shirt and fisherman's pants compete with that absurd rubbish as "unwearable"? There really ARE "no rules" anymore, when showing your bum crack qualifies as a 'fashion trend". So wear the damn shirt with the damn pants if you feel like it. Just keep your bum crack out of sight!

Why would anyone want to go to Iowa if you didn't live there?Beyond that, come to San Francisco if you want to explore the world of tie dye!! I'll take you to THE shop in the Haight, where they have the worlds largest tie dyed shirt in the front window (or used to) AND you cant work there unless you love rainbows.Other than that, who cares what you're wearing as long as you're happy?P.S. But please don't wear that fourth look. Ever.P.S.S. If you need dyes call Dharma trading here in CA, they have the BEST staff and the BEST stuff.

Peter, there is an out-of-print pattern sale on Club BMV going on right now. There is a men' raincoat pattern from Vogue #8720 on sale for $5.99 in various sizes. Since mens patterns are rarely on sale, I thought that you might like to know.Kathy C.

the pieces by themselves are cool, but together, too much ... styling them appropriately would be cool, the thai pants i would wear with a white linen shirt and hugo boss or tommy bahama leather sandles in the summer, you look cool with the pashmina and umbrella but .. spring summer .. no snow ... the boots i love those they look like red wing hertiage boots .. totally cool but with seledge jeans, your shirt you made an some leather supenders (my spelling sucks) .. your coat .. issey mikake .. love his patterns .. i adapt them for a mondern masculine look with them .. i also use vogue jennifer george and re interpert the design in fabrics and styling to suit my tastes .. for example taking a big coat .. designed for a woman .. grading the pattern, resizing keeping the styling the same but using something like kelly green boiled wool ... i think i got to start posting some of my sewing projects .. i love where you going with things .. i just think you need some help with the styling and putting looks together .. that wow and rock .. all the best corey

I really like your Thai fisherman pants :) maybe not with the shirt, but they are really cute and do feel like an intentional joke, which makes a huge difference. Enjoying your FIT class reports, btw - Good luck with the class!

I like the shirt, I like the fishermans pants, I like the fabrics together. But in some photos (like the first one in todays post) you appear wide with very short legs. And your normal slim self in the shirt & jeans photo. I think it's proportions or camera angle. Or both? In today's umbrella photo, you don't appear heavy, but your legs still seem shorter than they do in the jeans. I love the addition of the pashima to the look. No matter - the outfit would be a major improvement from the tatty sweat pants and pajamma bottoms as outer wear.

As far as those runway photos and the models looking unhappy, I thought if models look happy on the runway, even if they loved what they were wearing, they'd be banned for life from runway and magazine modeling.

I love the shirt, I love the pants, but I don't love the combination. I know "matchy-matchy" is a slur, but if there's no point of connection, is it an outfit? I don't see a similar color note or pattern point. The size of the plaid is radically different from the size of the print.

Having said that, I don't agree with the comment above that "haters gonna hate." That accurate for people who hate for the sake of it, but we can safely have different opinions about fashion as long as they are expressed with courtesy and factual support.

Hate looks like this: "Your outfit should be thrown in a garbage can, doused with diesel and lit on fire." (I giggled to myself when I realized that even in a mock "hate," I made sure it was safely in a garbage can.)

One of the things you provide, along with your exquisite sewing, your fabulous fashion sense, and your inimitable writing, your great photography, is a place that welcomes our diverse opinions. Thank you for all of that.

I love the top in bright blue pinstripe. What is it? Looks amazing. Btw. there is nothing wrong with your combo - the patterns may be clashing and there might be a more conservative way to wear it but it is FUN. Not all of life can be beige :D

a boy, a dream, and 10+ sewing machines

I'm a native New Yorker and sewing fanatic! I started sewing in 2009 and today make all my own clothes using vintage sewing machines and vintage patterns, in addition to sewing for private clients. Welcome to the warm and whimsical world of Male Pattern Boldness, where the conversation is sewing, style, fashion, fabric, and more!